Adjustable system for supporting a structure using a pile

ABSTRACT

The subject matter disclosed pertains to an adjustable system for supporting a structure using a pile. The system has a pile with a helical flighting. The top of the pile has a threaded receptacle that receives a threaded bar of a bracket. The bracket may be rotated to adjust the height of the bracket and thereby adjust the position of the structure. The bracket includes holes for receiving fasteners for securing an attachment. The attachment, in turn, may connect to the structure.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/760,934 (filed Feb. 5, 2013) the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to systems for supporting and adjusting the height of a structure, such as a building, solar frame or machine base.

In certain situations, it is desirable to raise a structure above ground level in a controlled fashion. For example, to safeguard a building against a hurricane, a building may be raised by four to six feet, or more, above ground level. The building is supported by a series of piles. During a storm, water is permitted to flow around the piles and under the building. This increases the likelihood the building will weather the storm. In other examples, a solar frame of a solar panel array is supported by a series of piles. These piles must be carefully installed so as to permit the proper alignment of the solar frame with the sun.

Unfortunately, not all buildings are already raised above ground level and many building that are already on pile supports are not high enough to avoid flood waters. The use of helical piles, while advantageous, makes proper alignment of the structure difficult since the orientation of the top of the helical pile changes with the rotation of the helical pile.

It would be desirable to retrofit a ground-level building with a system to support the building on piles. It would also be desirable to lift homes on piles to a higher elevation. It would further be desirable to assist in leveling of a structure after the installation of the piles. This would greatly improve the installation procedure and ensure a structurally sound connection to the building.

The discussion above is merely provided for general background information and is not intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The subject matter disclosed pertains to an adjustable system for supporting a structure using a pile. The system has a pile with a helical flighting. The top of the pile has a threaded receptacle that receives a threaded bar of a bracket. The bracket may be rotated to adjust the height of the bracket and thereby adjust the position of the structure. The bracket includes holes for receiving fasteners for securing an attachment. The attachment, in turn, may connect to the structure. An advantage that may be realized in the practice of some disclosed embodiments of the system is that the height, position and alignment of the bracket can be controlled after pile installation despite the complications caused by the staggering motion that occurs when installing helical piles.

[I WILL SUMMARIZE AGREED UPON CLAIMS AFTER FIRST DRAFT].

This brief description of the invention is intended only to provide a brief overview of subject matter disclosed herein according to one or more illustrative embodiments, and does not serve as a guide to interpreting the claims or to define or limit the scope of the invention, which is defined only by the appended claims. This brief description is provided to introduce an illustrative selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This brief description is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. The claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any or all disadvantages noted in the background.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

So that the manner in which the features of the invention can be understood, a detailed description of the invention may be had by reference to certain embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the drawings illustrate only certain embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the scope of the invention encompasses other equally effective embodiments. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis generally being placed upon illustrating the features of certain embodiments of the invention. In the drawings, like numerals are used to indicate like parts throughout the various views. Thus, for further understanding of the invention, reference can be made to the following detailed description, read in connection with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of an adjustable system for supporting a structure;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged top of the upper terminus of the system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of a bracket of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4A is a top perspective view of an attachment for use with the bracket of FIG. 3 while FIG. 4B is a bottom perspective view of the attachment;

FIG. 5A is a cross sectional view of the upper terminus of an exemplary system using the attachment of FIG. 4A while FIG. 5B is a non-cross sectional view of the same;

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of another attachment for use with the bracket of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7A is a side view of an exemplary structure before being supported by piles while FIG. 7B is a side view of the same after being supported by piles;

FIG. 8 is a top view of the system of FIG. 7B after attachments have been added; and

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a pile supporting a structure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 illustrates a system 100 which comprises a pile 104 such as an auger grouted steel core displacement pile. In one embodiment, the pile 104 is a pile disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,033,757 or U.S. Publication No. 2012/0087740. The content of these two documents is hereby incorporated by reference into this specification. In another embodiment, the pile 104 may be a steel column only or a column filled with grout or concrete. A bottom portion 106 of the pile 104 is disposed below ground level 102. The bottom portion 106 comprises helical flighting 107 that pulls the pile 104 into the soil when the pile 104 is rotated. A top portion 108 of the pile 104 is disposed above ground level 102. In one embodiment, a casing 112 surrounds the top portion 108. In one such embodiment, casing 110 is a polyvinylchloride (PVC) tube. In another embodiment, the casing may be steel for additional structural support. As described in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 8,033,757 and U.S. Publication No. 2012/0087740, a portion of the pile 104 may be encased in concrete to provide sturdy support. In one embodiment, the bottom portion 106 is encased in concrete. In another embodiment, both the bottom portion 106 and the top portion 108 are encased in concrete. An upper terminus 110 of the top portion 108 is fitted with a bracket 300.

The bracket 300 provides a mechanism to align the upper terminus 110 of the pile 104. When an auger grouted steel core displacement pile or a helical pile is driven into the ground, the rotary motion of the driving action introduces a staggering motion that makes it difficult to control the relative orientation of two piles 104. For example, in the case of a solar frame for a ground mounted solar panel array, piles are driven to a desired depth in a pattern necessary for connection to the solar frame. The position of the piles are important for the efficient assemble of the frame. Unfortunately, height, position and alignment are a constant problem. The brackets 300, when placed atop each of the piles 104, permits the upper terminus 110 of each pile to be adjusted idiosyncratically.

As shown in FIG. 2, the upper terminus 110 of the top portion 108 of pile 104 comprises a threaded receptacle 200 for receiving a threaded bar 306 of bracket 300. Bracket 300 is shown in more detail in FIG. 3.

FIG. 3 shows the bracket 300 that comprises a horizontal base 302. The threaded bar 306 extends from the horizontal base 302. The horizontal base 302 comprises one or more holes 302 a for receiving the fasteners. Such fasteners may be used to add one or more attachments to the horizontal base 302. In one embodiment, holes 302 a are elongated slots. In one such embodiment, the elongated slots are curved elongated slots. The curvature of the curved elongated slots may correspond to the curvature of threaded bar 306. In one embodiment, the threaded bar 306 is disposed at the center of the horizontal base 302 to ensure the holes 302 a are disposed in controlled positions. In one embodiment, all of the holes 302 are the same distance from the center of the horizontal base 302 such that their position is controlled during rotation of the threaded bar 306. As the threaded bar 306 is rotated, it engages the threaded receptacle 200 to raise or lower the horizontal base 302, depending on the direction of rotary motion. Various attachments may be attached to the bracket 300 to permit the bracket to securely connect to a variety of structures.

FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B show an embodiment where bracket 300 includes an attachment 400 that comprises a vertical plate 404 and an attachment base 402. The attachment base 402 is removably attached to the horizontal base 302 by fasteners, such as bolts. This configuration provides an advantage over prior art systems that traditionally use L-brackets. Such L-brackets are very cumbersome to install and require perfect alignment of the pile with respect to the structure being supported. In the embodiment depicted, the attachment 400 comprises the vertical plate 404 joined to the attachment base 402 at a substantially right angle. In one embodiment, a triangular gusset 414 provides structural reinforcement between these two elements. The vertical plate 404 may have one or more holes 404 a through which screws or other fasteners can connect to the structure being supported. The attachment base 402 may contain one or more holes 402 a through which fasteners (not shown) can connect the attachment 400 to the horizontal base 302. In one embodiment, the holes 402 a are elongated slots. This permits added flexibility with regard to the placement of the attachment 400. FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B depict the bracket 300 and attachment 400 attached to the upper terminus 110 of the pile 104. In FIG. 5A, the pile 104 is shown in partial phantom such that threaded receptacle 200 is visible. In FIG. 5B, the pile 104 is shown as solid.

FIG. 6 shows an embodiment where the bracket 300 includes an attachment 600 that comprises a first vertical plate 604, a second vertical plate 605 and an attachment base 602. The first and second vertical plates 604, 605 are parallel to one another and spaced apart by a distance 606. Both the first and second vertical plates 604, 605 are attached to the attachment base 602 to provide a U-shaped receiving member. A frame member of the structure that is being supported may be inserted into the U-shaped receiving member.

FIG. 7A is a side view of a structure 720 which may be, for example, the solar frame for a ground mounted solar panel array. In FIG. 7A, a first pile 704 a and second pile 704 b is depicted, wherein each pile has a corresponding first and second bracket 700 a, 700 b, respectively. The first and second piles 704 a, 704 b were drawn into the ground using the helical flighting (see FIG. 1). Accordingly, the vertical positioning of each pile's upper terminus is generally not adjustable. The first and second brackets, 700 a, 700 b circumvent this shortcoming. In FIG. 7A, the first bracket 700 a of the first pile 704 a is flush with the structure 720. The second pile 704 b was drawn into the ground by a slightly greater distance, resulting in a gap 722 when the structure 720 is in its desired, horizontal position. The second bracket 700 b is rotated to adjust its vertical position until the second bracket 700 b is flush with the structure 720. FIG. 7B is a side view after both brackets have been placed flush with the bottom side of the structure 720.

FIG. 8 is a top view of the system of FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B after both brackets have been placed flush with the structure 720. First and second attachments 800 a and 800 b have been added and placed flush with the vertical side of the structure 720. Since each hole in the plurality of holes 702 a, 702 b are elongated, the user can always align at least one of these holes with corresponding holes 712 a, 712 b. Additionally, since each hole of the plurality of holes 712 a, 712 b is also elongated, the attachment (e.g. attachment 800 b) may be moved laterally to accommodate for the bracket (e.g. second bracket 700 b) being off-center due to the staggering motion that occurs during installation of a helical pile. For example, attachment 800 a is centered with respect to bracket 700 a while attachment 800 b has been moved laterally over the surface of bracket 700 b to accommodate stagger that occurred during the installation of bracket 700 b.

Referring to FIG. 9, in some embodiments, the system is used to support a raised building. In use, a structure is raised using conventional lifting systems to permit workers to place a piling rig under the building. A pile 904 is then installed into the ground. In those embodiments where a casing 912 is used, the casing is disposed around the top portion 908 that extends above the ground 902. Grout is then added to a desired level. The bracket (e.g. bracket 300) is attached to the upper terminus of pile 904 by inserting the threaded bar into threaded receptacle. The building is then lowered on the bracket. By rotating the threaded bar within threaded receptacle, the height of the bracket may then be adjusted. This, in turn, controls the leveling of the building. When the desired leveling is achieved and the weight of the building is fully supported, an attachment (e.g. attachment 400) may be attached to the bracket with fasteners. Due to the design of the holes in the bracket, a suitable attachment hole is provided no matter the degree of rotation of the bracket. Fasteners may also be placed through the holes in the vertical plate to secure the vertical plate to the structure.

In those embodiments which utilize a concrete beam 920, a series of welded plates 922 with rebar attached to steel column is provided. A contractor may form a beam about the pile tops providing increased lateral stability and continuous bearing surface for such homes or structures not previously supported by a pile foundation.

This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An adjustable system for supporting a structure using a pile, the system comprising: a pile with a bottom portion comprising helical flighting and a top portion comprising a threaded receptacle disposed within the top portion and opening at an upper terminus of the top portion; a bracket comprising a horizontal base and a threaded bar extended from a planar surface of the horizontal base, the threaded bar engaging the threaded receptacle such that rotation of the threaded bar results in a change in height of the horizontal base; a plurality of holes in the horizontal base for receiving fasteners to secure an attachment to the horizontal base.
 2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the horizontal base is circular and each hole of the plurality of holes is an elongated hole.
 3. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein each elongated hole is a curved elongated hole.
 4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein each hole in the plurality of holes is the same distance from a center of the horizontal base.
 5. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a structure contiguous with the horizontal base, wherein the horizontal base provides support for the structure.
 6. The system as recited in claim 5, wherein at least a portion of the helical flighting is disposed below ground and at least a portion of the top portion is disposed above ground.
 7. The system as recited in claim 5, further comprising a casing disposed about the portion of the top portion that is disposed above ground.
 8. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising an attachment, removably connected to the horizontal base of the bracket, the attachment comprising an attachment base contiguous with the horizontal base, the attachment base comprising at least one elongated hole for alignment with at least one hole of the plurality of holes in the horizontal base.
 9. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the attachment further comprises at least one vertical plate attached to the attachment base and forming a substantially right angle therewith.
 10. An adjustable system for supporting a structure using a pile, the system comprising: a pile with a bottom portion comprising helical flighting and a top portion comprising a threaded receptacle disposed within the top portion and opening at an upper terminus of the top portion; a bracket comprising a horizontal base and a threaded bar extended from a planar surface of the horizontal base with a center, the threaded bar being disposed at the center and engaging the threaded receptacle such that rotation of the threaded bar results in a change in height of the horizontal base; a plurality of holes in the horizontal base for receiving fasteners to secure an attachment to the horizontal base, each hole in the plurality of holes being an elongated hole that is the same distance from the center of the horizontal base; an attachment, removably connected to the horizontal base of the bracket, the attachment comprising: an attachment base contiguous with the horizontal base, the attachment base comprising at least one elongated hole for alignment with at least one hole of the plurality of holes in the horizontal base.
 11. The system as recited in claim 10, wherein the attachment further comprises a pair of parallel vertical plates, separated from one another by a distance, both attached to the attachment base.
 12. The system as recited in claim 10, wherein the attachment further comprises a vertical plate attached to the attachment base.
 13. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein the vertical plate and the attachment base form a substantially right angle.
 14. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the vertical plate and the attachment base are joined by a triangular gusset.
 15. The system as recited in claim 10, wherein the horizontal base is circular.
 16. A method of supporting a structure using a pile, the method comprising steps of: placing first pile and second pile proximate a structure, each pile respectively comprising a bottom portion comprising helical flighting and a top portion comprising a threaded receptacle disposed within the top portion and opening at an upper terminus of the top portion; a bracket comprising a horizontal base and a threaded bar extended from a planar surface of the horizontal base with a center, the threaded bar being disposed at the center and engaging the threaded receptacle such that rotation of the threaded bar results in a change in height of the horizontal base; a plurality of holes in the horizontal base for receiving fasteners to secure an attachment to the horizontal base, each hole in the plurality of holes being an elongated hole that is the same distance from the center of the horizontal base; engaging the bracket of the first pile with a first portion of the structure; rotating the bracket of the second pile until the bracket of the second pile engages a second portion of the structure, the step of rotating occurring until the structure is placed in a desired vertical position; securing a first attachment to the bracket of the first pile; and attaching the first attachment to the structure.
 17. The method as recited in claim 16, further comprising securing a second attachment to the bracket of the second pile; attaching the second attachment to the structure.
 18. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the step of placing the first pile and the second pile comprises rotating the first pile and the second pile to pull the first pile and second pile into the ground using each pile's helical flighting. 